Malt-turning machine.



11. 1). WESOHLER.

MALT TURNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IEEBG, 1912. 1,056,869. Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH (20., WASHINGTON. IL c4 D. D. WESOHLER.

MALT TURNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.6,1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

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Lgxjgq essels. 17W fflgyegtnr. 57am DANIEL D. WESCHLER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

MALT-TURNING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Application filed February 6, 1912. Serial No. 675,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL D. I/VESGH- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented cer- March 17 1903, and has for its object certain improvements in the mechanism thereof hereinafter particulaly pointed out and described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is an end view in elevation of my improved malt-turning machine. Fig. 2, is a rear view in elevation of the same, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, portions thereof being broken away.

In the malting process the grain to be malted is first saturated with water, and is then spread in a uniform layer upon a malting-fioor where it is allowed to germinate. During the process of. germination in order to prevent heating, and to insure uniform germination throughout the entire mass it is necessary to frequently turn the grain. During the operation of turning the grain it is necessary to breakup the mass which by reason of the tiny growing roots, has become knitted together, and loosen the grains constituting the mass thoroughly so that each individual grain will be enabled to move by itself. Prior to my invention the work of turning malt and breaking it up so that the same would be thoroughly aerated was performed by manual labor and required shovelers skilled in this line of work.

In carryingout the objects of my invention I secure to the frame work of the malthouse, intermediate between the maltingfloor and the ceiling of the room, trackbeams, A, adapted to support a traveling crane, B thereon. This crane B is composed of arectangular frame supported upon track-wheels B adapted to engage the crane-tracks A in the usual manner, the

track-wheel shafts B being secured in bearings Z) (see Fig. 2) secured to the under side of the crane-frame B, and upon the inner ends of the shaft B are secured spur gearwheels C, which inter-mesh with a pinion C (shown in broken lines) secured upon a shaft C longitudinally mounted in the crane-frame. Upon this shaft C is mounted a spur geanwheel G which is provided with a clutch mechanism 0, by means of which the shaft C may be stopped when desired. This gear-wheel C receives motion and power from an electric motor D, and intermediate gears D mounted upon the crane-frame B.

Depending from the crane-frame B, are the frames E, and secured to the lower portion of these frames E, are journal-boxes E, in which is mounted the crank-shaft F, which I have shown in Fig. 2, as being in sections, each section having therein four cranks, F. This manner of constructing the crankshaft F, overcomes certain mechanical difliculties incident to a structure of this character. Upon each section of the crank-shaft F, I secure a miter-gear F Vertically mounted in the machine frame are shafts F upon the lower ends of which are miter-gears F which intermesh with the miter-gears F on the crank-shafts F. On the upper ends of the shafts F are mitergears F Upon the crane-frame B, in suitable bearings G, is mounted a shaft G, upon which there is secured miter-gears G which intermesh with the miter-gears F Upon the shaft G, there is secured a spur gear-wheel H, which receives motion and power from the motor J, and gears J, mounted upon the crane-frame B, so that when the motor J, is energized, the crank-shafts F, will rotate.

Mounted at the lower portion of the frames E, upon bearings concentric with the crank-shaft F, are segments of gears, K, of suitable radius for the purpose hereinafter set forth. Intermeshing with these segments of gear K, are pinionsL, secured upon a shaft L, longitudinally mounted in the frame of the machine. Secured upon the shaft L, there is a worm-gear L and for operating this worm-gear L and shaft L, I have provided the usual hand-wheel M, shaft M, and worm M Secured upon the hubs of the segments K, are downwardly and rearwardly extending arms N, to which is secured a scraper or follower N, which is adapted to contact with the malting-fioor for the purpose of raising malt therefrom.

Secured in the segments K, adjacent to the periphery thereof is a longitudinal shaft 0, which is co-extensive in length with each set of four cranks F, in the crank-shaft F, and upon this shaft 0, there are mounted the arms 0.

Pivoted upon each of the cranks F, are shovel-handles P, the upper ends of which are pivoted to the lower extremities of the arms 0, so that by means of the handwheel M, the segments K, may be swung on their axes, thereby changing the pitch of the shovel handles P, and also raising the scraper N from the floor. Upon the lower ends of the handles P, are shovels Q, preferably slotted as shown in Fig. 2. These shovels Q, reach downwardly nearly to the malting-floor, but do not contact with the same during the operation of the machine. For the purpose of tearing, and breaking up the malt mass, these shovels Q, are provided with hooks R, which extend, or project from the under sides of the shovels Q.

Secured to the rear of the frames E, in the middle portion of the machine, is an op erators plat-form S, which supports electrical controllers S, of the usual construction.

During the operation of turning malt, this machine travels upon the crane-tracks A, over the malt backwardly, the operator upon the platform S, facing the machine so that he can watch the shovels, and regu-' late the operation of the machine. By means of the hand-wheel M, the gear-segments K, and the intermediate gear heretofore described the pressure of the scraper N, upon the floor may be regulated, and when it is necessary to raise the shovel and scraper N, up above the malt, the gearsegments K, are moved to the position thereof shown by the broken lines in Fig. 1, by means of the handwheel M, and the gears connected therewith, until the shovels Q, and scraper N, aremoved'to the position thereof shown by broken lines in Fig. 1. This may be done without stopping the revolution of the crank-shaft F.

From the foregoing description and the drawings accompanying this application, the construction and operation of my improved malt-turning machine is so obvious that further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Therefore having fully shown and described my invention was to enable others to construct and utilize the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame capable of being moved over a malting-fioor, mechanism for actuating same, reciprocating shovels and mechanism for operating the same supported by said frame, and means for adjusting the pitch of said shovels, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame capable of being moved over a malting-fioor, mechanism for actuating same, reciprocating shovels and mecahnism for operating the same supported by said frame, a follower adapted to contact with the floor, and mechanism adapted to raise or lower the blades of said shovels and said follower, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame capable of being moved over a malting-floor, mechanism for actuating the same, a crank-shaft mounted in said frame, mechanism for operating said crank-shaft, gear-segment mechanism mounted in said frame concentric with said crankshaft, shovel handles supported by the cranks in said crank-shaft and by pivots supported upon said gear-segment mechanism, and means for operating said gearsegment mechanism, substantially as set forth.

f. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame capable of being moved over a malting-floor, mechanism for actuating same, a crank-shaft mounted in said frame, mechanism for operating said .crankshaft, gear-segment mechanism mounted in said frame concentric with said crank-shaft, shovel handles supported by the cranks in said crankshaft and by pivots supported upon said gear-segment mechanism, a follower adapted to contact with the maltingfloor secured to and supported upon said gear-segment mechanism, and means for operating said gear-segment mechanism, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame adapted to be moved over a malting-fioor, mechanism for actuating the same, a crank-shaft mounted in said frame, mechanism for operating said crankshaft, gear-segment mechanism mounted in said frame concentric with said crank-shaft, screw and gear mechanism for operatin said gear-segment mechanism, a pivot-sha supported by said gear-segment mechanism, shovel handles pivoted upon the cranks in said crank-shaft and links pivoted to the upper ends of said shovel handles and upon said pivot-shaft, substantially as set forth.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame adapted to be moved over a malting-floor, mechanism for actuating the same, a crank-shaft mounted in said frame, mechanismfor operating said crankshaft, gear-segment mechanism mounted in said frame concentric with said crank-shaft, screw and gear mechanism for operatingsaid gear-segment mechanism, a pivot shaft supported by said gear-segment mechanism, a follower adapted to contact with the floor secured to and supported by said gear-segment mechanism, shovel handles pivoted upon the cranks in said crank-shaft, and links pivoted to the upper ends of said shovel handles and upon said pivot-shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a crane mechanism traveling on tracks over a malting-fioor, mechanism thereon for operating the crane, a rigid frame-work suspended upon said crane, a crank-shaft mounted in said frame-work, motor and gear mechanism mounted upon said crane and suspended frame-work for operating said crank-shaft, gear-segment mechanism mounted in said suspended framework concentric with said crankshaft, worm and gear mechanism for operating said gear-segment mechanism, a follower adapted to contact with the floor secured to and operated by said gear-segment mechanism, shovel handles pivoted upon the cranks in said crank-shaft, a pivotshaft supported by said gear-segment mechanism, and links extending between and pivoted upon said pivot-shaft and to the upper ends of said shovel handles substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus of the character described a shovel, and means secured thereto adapted to break up and pulverize material operated upon during the operation of said shovel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In an apparatus of the character described a shovel having slot-s therein, hooks projecting from the under side thereof adapted to break up and pulverize material operated upon during the operation of the shovel; substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a crane mechanism traveling on tracks over a malting-floor, motor and gear mechanism thereon for operating said crane, frame-work suspended upon said crane, a crank-shaft mounted in said suspended frame-work,' motor and gear mechanism mounted upon said crane and suspended frame-work for operating said crank-shaft, an operators platform secured and supported upon said apparatus, independent controller mechanism upon said platform for controlling the operation of the traveling mechanisnn'and the operation of the crankshaft, gear-segment mechanism mounted in said frame-work concentric with said crankshaft mechanism for operating said gear- DANIEL D. VVESCHLER.

\Vitnesses \VM. BUNTZESCHU, R. J. WESOHLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

